NAME

         Math::Cephes::Fraction - Perl interface to the cephes math fraction routines

SYNOPSIS

         use Math::Cephes::Fraction qw(fract);
         my $f1 = fract(2,3);          # $f1 = 2/3
         my $f2 = fract(3,4);          # $f2 = 3/4
         my $f3 = $f1->radd($f2);      # $f3 = $f1 + $f2

DESCRIPTION

       This module is a layer on top of the basic routines in the cephes math library to handle
       fractions. A fraction object is created via any of the following syntaxes:

         my $f = Math::Cephes::Fraction->new(3, 2);  # $f = 3/2
         my $g = new Math::Cephes::Fraction(5, 3);   # $g = 5/3
         my $h = fract(7, 5);                        # $h = 7/5

       the last one being available by importing :fract. If no arguments are specified, as in

         my $h = fract();

       then the defaults $z = 0/1 are assumed. The numerator and denominator of a fraction are
       represented respectively by

          $f->{n}; $f->{d}

       or, as methods,

         $f->n;  $f->d;

       and can be set according to

         $f->{n} = 4; $f->{d} = 9;

       or, again, as methods,

        $f->n(4)  ; $f->(d) = 9;

       The fraction can be printed out as

         print $f->as_string;

       or as a mixed fraction as

         print $f->as_mixed_string;

       These routines reduce the fraction to its basic form before printing.  This uses the
       euclid routine which finds the greatest common divisor of two numbers, as follows:

        ($gcd, $m_reduced, $n_reduced) = euclid($m, $n);

       which returns the greatest common divisor of $m and $n, as well as the result of reducing
       $m and $n by $gcd

       A summary of the basic routines is as follows.

        $x = fract(3, 4);       #  x = 3 / 4
        $y = fract(2, 3);       #  y = 2 / 3
        $z = $x->radd( $y );    #  z = x + y
        $z = $x->rsub( $y );    #  z = x - y
        $z = $x->rmul( $y );    #  z = x * y
        $z = $x->rdiv( $y );    #  z = x / y
        print $z->{n}, ' ', $z->{d};  # prints numerator and denominator of $z
        print $z->as_string;         # prints the fraction $z
        print $z->as_mixed_string;   # converts $z to a mixed fraction, then prints it

        $m = 60;
        $n = 144;
        ($gcd, $m_reduced, $n_reduced) = euclid($m, $n);

BUGS

       Please report any to Randy Kobes <randy@theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca>

SEE ALSO

       For the basic interface to the cephes fraction routines, see Math::Cephes. See also
       Math::Fraction for a more extensive interface to fraction routines.

COPYRIGHT

       The C code for the Cephes Math Library is Copyright 1984, 1987, 1989, 2002 by Stephen L.
       Moshier, and is available at http://www.netlib.org/cephes/.  Direct inquiries to 30 Frost
       Street, Cambridge, MA 02140.

       The perl interface is copyright 2000, 2002 by Randy Kobes.  This library is free software;
       you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.